This invention relates to protective headwear, and more specifically, to protective hats suitable for use by children, adolescents and adults.
Numerous kinds of protective headwear have heretofore been proposed. Such headwear, for example, the protective helmet shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,133, issued Mar. 2, 1965, to Steffen, is often quite unconventional in appearance and objectionable for that reason alone.
Attempts have been made to provide combined dress and protective headwear, usually for children. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,384, issued Sep. 13, 1995 to I. Frothingham, a combined dress and protective hat was proposed which included a circular cap, constructed over a cruciform framework of protective elements. This device, too, differs greatly in appearance from conventional headgear, and reveals itself at once to be a specially constructed protective device.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,773, issued Apr. 15, 1986, I described two embodiments of a protective hat, specifically intended for infants and toddlers, which provides a conventional and unobjectional appearance, while also comfortably providing a protective function. The hat of that patent is constructed using components made up of cores of resilient shock absorbent foam material, encapsulated in fabric shells.
In attempting to apply the principles of my U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,773 to protective hats for larger sizes, such as for children four years of age and older, adolescents and adults, it has been found that simply enlarging the hat and providing thicker foam is not a practical solution. On the contrary, it has been found that use in the patented construction of core elements in excess of about 3/8 inch in the thickness produces a hat difficult to shape to the head of a wearer, uncomfortable to wear due to poor ventilation, and difficult to fabricate. It is an object, therefore, of this invention, to provide an easily manufactured protective hat, the novel features of which make it suitable for use by older children, adolescents and adults.